Chapter - 255 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

"Ah," Lin Ling suddenly exclaimed. Lan Mu Lian turned her head to see Lin Ling holding a cardboard sign, her bright, captivating red eyes staring at her. The sign read: Whoever wins the Ascension Conference will take your junior brother away. Lin Ling then glanced at Shang Yanfei, tapping the cardboard again. "He can't leave the sect." "Senior Lin Ling is right. Master, please reconsider; this idea seems rather unreasonable," Lan Mu Lian chimed in with her pleasant voice. "He won't leave the sect. The additional reward is merely to motivate some disciples to strive for first place." Shang Yanfei stood up and moved to the front of the courtyard, the hem of her black dress trailing behind her. As she fiddled with a lock of hair, she glanced sideways and smiled. "Besides, have you not considered another possibility?" Under Lin Ling's and Lan Mu Lian's gaze, a smile graced Shang Yanfei’s flawless face. "For instance, what if he takes first place?" She turned around, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, and blew lightly. The strand transformed into paper cranes glistening with colorful light, infused with dense celestial energy, and they flew out of the pavilion, dispersing towards Tianhe Garden and other places. ... Tianhe Garden. At this moment, Mu Zhian sat in his room, inhaling the rich medicinal fragrance from the inborn furnace, and couldn't help but sigh internally with genuine appreciation. "It seems my intuition was right... The inborn furnace indeed absorbs any valuable thing, whether it's a divine-grade herb or something else." In the past, those treasures were seized by the inborn furnace against Mu Zhian’s will, but this time, he leveraged its peculiar trait to his advantage. The success of this experiment meant he could refine more divine-grade herbs into the furnace in the future and use them at the right time for those around him. After all, refining a single divine-grade herb usually takes centuries, but inside the inborn furnace, it doesn’t even take an hour. Even though divine-grade herbs don't benefit me, considering my position is essentially the 'golden finger' for the protagonists, it's quite nice to help strengthen the girls around me this way, isn't it? Mu Zhian asked in his heart, "Fairy elder sister, do you need this herb?" If Yao Meng needed it, it would be fine to give her this divine-grade herb first… "I have already consumed three divine-grade herbs; they're not much use to me now. You should give it to my disciple or Gong Lianyue," Yao Meng's voice echoed in Mu Zhian's mind. "Gong Lianyue?" Mu Zhian asked in confusion. "That was the former name of the Sword Palace Master, though people only know her as the Sword Emperor now, not her real name," Yao Meng replied. My wife has such a lovely name... Mu Zhian thought to himself. Then he asked, "Can a person only consume three divine-grade herbs?" "After three, you need to wait another ten thousand years to take more; otherwise, they'll have no effect. Also, each herb needs a century-long interval between uses," Yao Meng explained. "However, the energy within your inborn furnace is now denser than before. I can restore my energy faster there," she added. "I'm glad to be of help to you, fairy elder sister," Mu Zhian smiled. Knock, knock. Just then, a faint knocking sound came from outside the door. "Come in," Mu Zhian looked up towards the door. The door slowly opened, and a tall, cool beauty in a yellow dress stood in the doorway, her eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at Mu Zhian. "Why is the spiritual energy in your room so dense?" Mu Zhian admired the graceful silhouette of Wei Mengrou wrapped in the yellow dress and explained, "Just refined a divine-grade herb." Wei Mengrou was initially stunned, her mind reeling with disbelief. "If Sister Mengrou needs it, I can pass it on to you," Mu Zhian offered sincerely. The maid in the yellow dress hesitated momentarily before locking her cold, beautiful eyes on Mu Zhian. "Inborn furnace?" Mu Zhian nodded slightly. No wonder... Wei Mengrou thought, suddenly enlightened. She then took a peculiar two-second glance at Mu Zhian, noticing his relieved smile. "You haven’t actually refined the divine-grade herb; why so happy?” In the past, Mu Zhian was always sullen, whether he acquired the Enlightenment Seed or rebirth aura in the forbidden zone. That’s because anything good he obtained would end up occupied by the inborn furnace. Yet this time, he seemed delightfully content, which was truly bewildering. Could it be our young master has finally lost his mind? "The thought of being able to provide Sister Mengrou with some minor help makes me quite happy," Mu Zhian smiled. Wei Mengrou immediately gave him a disdainful side-eye, lifted her proud snow-white chin, and coolly said, "Scram." Mu Zhian remained silent for a long time, saying nothing. Then, before Wei Mengrou could speak, he continued, "Sister Mengrou, could you scold me a bit more?" Wei Mengrou: "…" For a moment, she wondered if Mu Zhian had awoken some bizarre preference. Is this guy a masochist? Mu Zhian noticed Wei Mengrou’s increasingly disdainful gaze and couldn’t help but smile. He roughly understood what Wei Mengrou might be thinking. But he wasn't a pervert. It’s just that he felt this strange joy only when scolded by Sister Mengrou... If only she wore those smooth black and white stockings, the effect would be even better. Imagining her accepting the master’s punishment with reluctant eyes despite her disdain—it’s a beautiful scene. Unfortunately, for now, it can only remain a fantasy. "I should just refine the other divine-grade herb later," Mu Zhian continued. Upon reflection, since Gong Lianyue gifted him two divine-grade herbs, giving one to Bai Ruoxi might even help Gong Lianyue awaken sooner. Then again, who knows if that woman is pretending to sleep like the Green Emperor. "The Ascension Conference is approaching. Aren't you worried about your own situation?” Wei Mengrou hinted. Mu Zhian shook his head with a gentle smile, "As I said before, I don't care as long as I make it to the top sixteen." In fact, Mu Zhian wasn't very interested in the Ascension Conference. After all, the strongest competitors were by his side anyway, and he could accept any of the girls around him becoming the champion. Having chosen to "mooch," he should wholeheartedly embrace it! "Sister Mengrou, do you have confidence?" Mu Zhian asked, looking up. "I have no interest in the Ascension Conference," Wei Mengrou replied indifferently. "We really are quite compatible," Mu Zhian attempted to flirt. Wei Mengrou scoffed with a cold sneer, not bothering to acknowledge him. Mu Zhian retrieved the second divine-grade herb from his storage ring, contemplating whether to refine it or chat with the girls around him first. At that moment, he sensed a vaguely familiar aura drifting from outside. He raised his fingertip, allowing a paper crane to land gently upon it. Wei Mengrou observed it closely, "A paper crane from Li Yin Peak?" As Mu Zhian’s personal maid, even Bai Ruoxi didn’t know him as well as Wei Mengrou. After all, Mu Zhian never hid anything from her. "This should be a paper crane from Senior Sister?" Mu Zhian speculated. He didn't communicate much with the Sect Leader, but with Senior Sister Lan, he did exchange messages frequently. Although Mu Zhian often reminded himself not to hold too much reverence for the Sect Leader, in his letters, he'd inevitably use a little more respectful language. After all, she was a Unity Realm existence, and to date, one of the two people Mu Zhian found entirely unreadable, evoking a subconscious respect. The other being the Demon Realm Empress. Of course, it's only a slight reverence. Once familiar or once masterful in their hearts, that reverence would no longer exist. Like Yao Meng initially, Mu Zhian couldn’t help but respect her. However, after subduing her heart through strength and understanding, only true love remained. Mu Zhian unfolded the paper crane, immediately sensing a vaguely familiar aura emanating from it. "Is it really a letter from the Sect Leader?" he muttered to himself, somewhat surprised. But this was a good thing; it was a chance to improve impression... Mu Zhian smiled faintly, then turned to read the content on the back of the paper. "The one who tops the Ascension Conference... can take Mu Zhian away." Mu Zhian was momentarily stunned, then softly closed his eyes. Then, he opened his eyes and read the contents of the letter once more. "..." The serene smile on his face gradually froze. ... Meanwhile, in Bai Ruoxi's room, as well as on the windowsills of the Ye sisters and the secluded chambers of Lan Feiying and others, a paper crane rested gently. They initially felt puzzled, but then picked up the cranes and slowly unfolded them. Chapter 253: Mu Zhian: Planning to Marry After the Ascension Conference 5.5K Mu Zhian stood still, staring at the content of the letter for a long time, like a statue ready to be blown away by the wind at any moment. It was only after quite a while that he snapped out of his daze, glancing again at the letter's content, inwardly shouting, "What the hell?" He had always regarded the Sect Leader Sister as his intended partner, only to be betrayed at the last moment... Was this a plot to send him straight into some tragic ending? Up until now, Mu Zhian had kept a vague, ambiguous relationship with the girls around him — like a thin paper window, hazy yet unopened. But Shang Yanfei's letter had the potential to disrupt this delicate balance. If the final winner of the Ascension Conference were someone he didn't know, it would still be alright. But if it truly turned out to be one of the girls he was familiar with... there would be real trouble. Unfortunately, the odds of one of the girls around him winning were incredibly high. After all, Mu Zhian had continuously aided them over time, ensuring each one of them grew significantly, if not to apex predators, then to formidable sharks at least. Each possessed a unique "golden finger," making their talents and powers much greater than ordinary cultivators. Initially, Mu Zhian had hoped the Ascension Conference would turn into an internal competition among his circles... that way, securing the three divine-grade herbs would be a cinch. However... This approach needed some reconsideration. Wei Mengrou sensed her young master's unease and gracefully walked to his side. With a delicate fragrance accompanying her, she unintentionally brushed her shoulder against Mu Zhian’s, leaning slightly to glimpse the letter’s contents. After a brief pause, a striking smile blossomed on her usually indifferent and elegant face. The maid quickly reined in her smile, pursing her lips, trying her best to stifle her joy and maintain her usual aloof demeanor: "So, what’s your plan now?" Despite her efforts, the joy still tugged at her lips, forming a slight curve. Mu Zhian had already calmed down, responding with a serene smile, "Given the circumstances, I suppose I’ll just have to take this Ascension Conference seriously." He originally intended to remain behind the scenes, supporting the "protagonists" as their behind-the-scenes "heroine." But now, it seemed he’d have to step up a bit himself... Wei Mengrou raised an eyebrow, catching the drift of his words: "Do you really plan to claim the top spot in the Ascension Conference?" “Does Sister Mengrou find that unrealistic?” Mu Zhian countered with a smile. Wei Mengrou shook her head lightly. “I didn’t expect Sister Mengrou to have such faith in me," Mu Zhian remarked, a bit surprised. A faint smile played on Wei Mengrou's lips: "Whether it's the Forbidden Zone, the Sword Palace, or the Sacred Land of Jade Pool, they all make excellent homes. You might as well consider whom to wed once the Ascension Conference concludes."